


The Weight of One's Convictions

by bethandroid



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, BDG voice: what the fuck fire emblem?, Brothers, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Spoilers, Hurt/Comfort, I'm sorry y'all this one is going to be sad and messy, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Past, Pre-Canon, Prologue, Sad Ending, Siblings, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, haha UNLESS
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:13:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23123812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bethandroid/pseuds/bethandroid
Summary: "'You’ve made it my problem.' Glenn repeated.  'Would you like to know why?'His tone was biting and to the point. Despite physical evidence that Glenn did not have his signature blade delicately held between his fingers, Miklan could swear he could still feel its sharp edge pressed tightly against his throat."Miklan is a problem for everyone around him. For his parents, for his brother, and now? He even seems to be a problem for the one he hates the most: Glenn Fraldarius. Though perhaps Miklan doesn't hate him as much as he'd originally thought. And perhaps Glenn doesn't hate him at all. And Miklan hates that.
Relationships: Background Glenn/Ingrid, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Felix Hugo Fraldarius & Ingrid Brandl Galatea & Sylvain Jose Gautier, Felix Hugo Fraldarius & Glenn Fraldarius, Felix Hugo Fraldarius & Sylvain Jose Gautier, Glenn Fraldarius/Miklan, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sylvain Jose Gautier & Miklan
Kudos: 9





	The Weight of One's Convictions

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my two lovely beta readers: nebulash and werewolven <3 Your comments and careful edits made me smile and are endlessly appreciated :)

“You should really ease up on him, Miklan. Striking him won’t solve anything.”

Sullenly glancing back behind himself, Miklan eyed the other young noble trudging up the snow capped hill he currently sat upon. It was a nice hill, he thought. A singular, barren tree stubbornly grew at its peak, casting long, spindly shadows with its outstretched limbs. Miklan often found his way there when he needed to think... or to be alone. Today he felt the need for both, but it seemed the other noble was intent on depriving him of at least one of those luxuries.

Scowling at the comment, Miklan turned back towards the sprawling view of the Gautier estate below.

“Solves at least one thing, Glenn. Makes me feel better.”

Glenn, heir to the house Fraldarius, sounded rather annoyed at that response. Even with his back turned to him, Miklan could tell as Glenn released a forceful sigh. Good. Pissing off the uppity heir was one of his favorite hobbies, after all. 

He didn’t get to bask in those pleasant feelings for long, however, as a sharp pain quickly registered atop his skull. Yelping in surprise, he whirled around only to see Glenn standing directly behind him, hand raised above Miklan’s head. He’d hit him, the bastard! 

Jumping to his feet, his boots scrabbling about the snow in his hurry, Miklan angrily growled out, “What the hell? Adding hypocrite to your list of extensive titles already, I see.”

Miklan reached out to shove the shorter boy away from him, though Glenn didn’t seem phased. Miklan always had been a little slower to act, even if physically stronger. Though this often led to his downfall in interactions with the other noble. This fact was clearly demonstrated here as Glenn deftly avoided the other boy’s hands, side stepping out of the way with a graceful flourish. This action caused Miklan to stumble forward and nearly topple to the ground, only just barely managing to regain his footing. Grumbling under his breath, Miklan could feel the heat rising across his face in embarrassment and anger. Folding his arms across his chest, he tried to dismiss the matter, muttering a few crude curses in the process. 

“Showoff bastard...”

Glenn stared at Miklan for a long while as he gathered his bearings, his own expression entirely unreadable. Miklan hated that about Glenn. Not that he was ever very good at reading people to begin with. Glenn had a way of masking his emotions so that Miklan could never quite tell what he was thinking, which was a particularly heavy blow to his already damaged self esteem. Glenn could be thinking anything about him behind that heavily shrouded veil. And most likely? No positive thoughts about Miklan resided there. 

Eventually, Glenn only shrugged in response, walking past him to stare down at the estate below as Miklan had done earlier. 

“Perhaps you’re right. I really shouldn’t stoop down to your level... but I thought it only fitting that you receive a taste of your own medicine.”

“What’s it to you anyway, Glenn? Why the hell do you care?”

“I don’t.”

“Then don’t interfere! It’s not your problem!”

Their voices carried through the frigid air, but only Miklan’s was swift to echo back as he gradually started to shout. Glenn was getting under his skin. Why did he always let him do that?

Rubbing at the now lightly throbbing sore spot at the back of his head, he leaned back against the nearby tree, trying to seem more aloof than he actually felt. Miklan wouldn’t give the other boy the satisfaction he was sure he craved. Glenn took a moment to respond, seeming somewhat unsure of his words going forward in the conversation.

_That would be a first_ , Miklan thought to himself, almost wanting to scoff at the mere absurdity of the idea. Glenn was sure in everything he did. Never hesitating. Swift to strike. And he knew all of Miklan’s weak points. 

Miklan almost spoke up once more to ask if he’d heard him the first time, when Glenn finally chose to respond. 

“You’ve made it my problem, Miklan.”

Glenn’s gaze had always been rather stern and serious. Miklan had come to expect that by now, but there had always been a sense of warmth behind those brown eyes. That no matter how serious he took his duties or how harsh he treated those under his tutelage, there was always an underlying tenderness there. Even throughout their youth, despite Miklan’s rough and tumble nature, Glenn had always looked upon him with... kindness? At least, something akin to kindness. Though as the years dragged on, that gentleness had been twisted and warped in Miklan’s eyes. Now all he saw was pity that lit a fire in his gut he could never quell, no matter how much he secretly yearned to have the return of that tender gaze.

As Glenn turned back to stare at him, Miklan most certainly did not see any of that tenderness now. 

“You’ve made it my problem.” Glenn repeated. “Would you like to know why?”

His tone was biting and to the point. Despite physical evidence that Glenn did not have his signature blade delicately held between his fingers, Miklan could swear he could still feel its sharp edge pressed tightly against his throat. 

Miklan struggled to choke out a response, that pressure against his neck growing stronger. 

“Wh-Why?”

“Because Felix cares for Sylvain. I wouldn’t be here today if Felix hadn’t begged me to take him to visit his favorite playmate. And what do we both find when we arrive? Sylvain up in his room, nursing a few nasty looking bruises and your father and mother both in hysterics over the matter.”

Oh. Was that all? This harsh treatment was all because of Sylvain? Of course it was. Everything was always about Sylvain. His disgusting little abomination of a brother. No, that wasn’t right. According to his parents, Sylvain was perfect in every way. First crest bearing son of the House of Gautier! The golden child! He made Miklan sick. All Miklan had to do was take his first breath in this world and the world smiled down upon him. Miklan hated him. Everything about him. 

He bit his lower lip to keep himself under control, feeling that fire start to crackle in his belly, but he did not dare speak a word. Not yet. 

Glenn paused, his voice having risen in volume as he'd allowed his anger to get the better of him before. He controlled his tone and cleared his throat before continuing on, ever the exemplary knight.

“I don’t like seeing my brother cry, Miklan. Having to explain to him what you’ve done... what you continue to do... He’s already asked me to do something about this. And at this point, I’m inclined to agree with him. This has to come to an end.”

“And what are you going to do about it, Glenn? You understand nothing. Nothing of what I’ve had to endure with that little...” Miklan struggles to find the right words, breath hissing through his teeth as he seethes at the other boy. “... That little leech around! He’s taken everything from me!”

Glenn stares at him for a time, eyes piercing into his very being. He couldn’t take this anymore. If he wasn’t getting an earful from his parents, he was having it handed to him by Glenn now too? This was too much. Growling, Miklan turned and his fist connected violently with the tree at his side. Bark connects with skin, sending pain shooting up into his arm. He’d thought this would quell some of his fury, but the action only made him angrier. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, whether from pain or frustration or some other emotion he wasn’t willing to acknowledge just yet, he wasn’t sure. Perhaps if he kept going, his fists slowly turning to a bloody pulp, he would feel something again. Perhaps his father would look at him and his pain the same way he looked at Sylvain. Perhaps...

Miklan feels a hand on his shoulder then, causing him to pause and turn his head to face the other. A hand slides up his cheek as he turns, thumb gently wiping at the tears that now stain his face. 

“You are a fool, Miklan Anschutz Gautier. How sad that you have brought this upon yourself.” 

A sigh escapes Glenn’s lips and he reaches up to brush away the shockingly red hair that had matted itself to Miklan’s forehead. 

“What happened to the headstrong, over confident boy I once knew? I rather miss him, I think. Even if he did get on my nerves on more than one occasion.” 

Glenn was smirking now and Miklan could feel his ears turning pink despite the storm of conflicting emotions he was currently enduring inside his head. What was Glenn getting at? Was this a trick? Some ploy to confuse him and make him out to be the fool? Once again, Miklan struggled to read what Glenn’s intentions truly were, but the mask Glenn wore was as solid as ever. Though Miklan would be lying to himself if he denied the way those gloved fingers against his flushed cheeks felt like a million butterflies taking flight within him. He briefly wondered what it would feel like to have Glenn fully take his face into his hands. Hold him gently. Comfort him with soft words of encouragement in that calm, soothing tone he always seemed to carry. Maybe lean in closer for- 

No. This was all only a ruse in order to have him behave. Glenn was smart, he always knew how best to break Miklan down into his most vulnerable self. Besides... Glenn was betrothed. To a noble woman with a crest, no less. His wonderings were merely a fantasy. A fantasy he entertained on more than one occasion, he hated to admit to himself, but a fantasy, nevertheless. He could almost feel the tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes once more at the idea, but his rage was quick to snuff them out this time. 

Miklan swiped the hand from his face and affixed a glare onto the other boy, glowering down at him. 

“This isn’t my fault... None of this is my fault. But if it’s a problem you want fixed, Glenn? Then I can grant you that request...”

Turning on his heel, a red faced Miklan hurriedly crunched through the snow and down the hill, leaving a silent Glenn in his wake. He knew Glenn wouldn’t be happy about the decision he’d made right then and there. But then again... when had Glenn ever been happy with anything he’d done before? He’d get over it eventually. Felix too. They might never understand, not truly. But everything could be solved with just one, simple act. He’d just never had the determination to act on it until now. Perhaps he should thank Glenn for that. 

A voice in the back of his head cried out that he truly did want to see Glenn smile at him the way he smiled at the rest of his friends. Maybe even more so... He could still feel the lingering warmth of those nimble fingers across his cheek, causing him to let his thoughts wander into dangerous territory. But no, that wouldn’t do. He couldn’t afford to be distracted right now. Not with his end goal in sight. If this worked, maybe... maybe things could go back to how they used to be. Maybe he could feel that touch once more and know that it was real. Not a trick. Truly meant for him. If he was lucky, anyway. 

Or his world could come further crashing down around him and he could be striding straight into his own hand crafted hell. Only time would tell, but Miklan was more than willing to risk it all for a chance to finally find any semblance of happiness.

As Glenn watched him go, he could only hope that Miklan wasn't about to do something very, very stupid.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking a look at the first chapter of my latest fic! I apologize in advance for any slow chapter updates, I have a full time job that keeps my brain very busy most days. I hope you enjoy two tragic boys as much as I do. I want to give a side note that I do not support the actions Miklan chooses to make in-game, I just find him very interesting as a character. Crests, man... Crests.
> 
> I'm very slow to respond to comments on here, but please feel free to shout at me on my other socials under the same username! Though I appreciate any and all comments more than you can possibly imagine <3


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